Process of separating and extracting zirconium oxid (zirconia) from ores and minerals



i dium, oxid, or the stare areur nrrica.

JOHN GQRDON, 0F IIEJV YORK, N.

AND MINERALS.

ace-loses;

no Drawing.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN Gonnon, a citizen of the United States, residing at New when ores containing zirconium are fused with a mixture of a chlorid and an oxid that these ores are thereby decomposed, the silica is transferred to the alli'ali metal or alkaline earth metal forming a silicate, while the zirconium forms partly a zirconate o the same bases and par ly remains as simple zirconia.

In carrying out my invention 1 may use a mixture of an oXid of an alkaline earth metal and a chlorid or an alkaline earth metal, or I may use an oXid of an alkali metal and a chlorid of an alkali metal, or I may use a chlo'rid of an alkali metal and an oxid of an alkaline earth metal, or a chlorid of an alkaline earth metal and an oxid of an alkali metal.

One mixture which I have found to be 'very efiicient in treating reasonably pure zirconium ore, such for instance as baddleyite consists in taking one part of Zirconium ore and adding three to four parts of socorrespondingamount of carbonate or hydrate and three to four parts of sodium chlorid. I

Another mixture consists of one part zirconium ore, three to four parts of calcium 'oxid or the equivalent quantity of carbonate or hydrate and six to eight parts of calcium chlorid. I

Eitherof these mixtures fuses readily at Specification of Letters Patent.

1 have discovered that' a temperature of from a thousand to twelve hundred. degrees centigrade. After the mixture has been completely iused the temperature should be maintained for a period of Patented May 25, 219206 Application filed, Gctooer 16, 1918. $eria1 No. 258,351.

from a half an hour to an hour, when the melt may be poured out and allowed to cool. The product thus obtained can be then treated in any desired Way. @ne moth i=5, of treatment is to pulverize and dissolve sulfuric acid; when the silica can he separated and filtered out. The Zirconia and the other bases in the solution then baprecipt taterl With ammonia or oth r alkali. This precipitate can subsequently he purified by any Well known or desired method.

The term oxid above :red to is intended to include carbonates, hydrates and other compounds which have an effect equivalent to that of the oxid in the reaction indicated.

I intend the term the claims to include alkali metals and alkaline earth metals.

What I claim is 1. The step in the process of producing zirconia which consists in fusing minerals containingzirconium with a mixture of a chlorid and an oxid.

2. The step in the'process of producing zirconia which consists in fusing minerals containing zirconium with a mixture of a chlorid of an alkaline element and an oxid of an alkaline element.

alkaline element in 3. The step in the process of producing i JOHN GORDON.

Witnesses DAVID WOLF, FRANCIS M. PHELPS, 

